> Definitions I find talk about slaughter of large number of
> individuals by attackers who suffer relatively minor losses.
>
> ^^^^^^^^
>
> CharlesB: This sounds like the goal of the vast majority of military operations in history. How often do military attackers have the goal of losing as many men ( sic ) as their enemy ( leaving aside for a moment insane battles in WWI ) ?
Just as slaughter describes a step in how beef, pork, and leather shoes come to market, so slaughter can describe the regular work of war:
"No dumb sonofabitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making some other sonofabitch die for his."
attributed to George Patton in the movie Patton.
"You may talk o' gin an' beer When you're quartered safe out 'ere, An' you're sent to pennyfights an' Aldershot it. But when it comes to slaughter You will do your work on water, And you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it."
R. Kipling.
Maybe this is just in fiction, but I think not.
Chris